Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Chris would never be able to explain the full range of overwhelming emotions that flooded through him the moment he heard that all-too familiar voice asking if he was okay after yet another brush with death.

Just moments before he was convinced that this was it, that he reached the end of the line, that he failed after all this time and wouldn’t be able to fulfil his promise of returning home to his brothers.

Then, a seemingly random stranger intervened and saved him at the last second, allowing Chris to continue fighting for his life for at least a little while longer.

In all the frenzy he hadn’t gotten the chance to thank the stranger yet, he hadn’t even seen his face. But then, the instant the other addressed him for the first time, Chris could swear he felt an electric current travel all the way from his head, through his whole body, right down to the edges of his toes.

Chris’s whole body started burning from the intensity of his emotions as he looked up and made eye-contact with the person he’s been going through hell for to meet again.

Time remained frozen during the length of their bone-crushing, desperate embrace. Neither could see, hear or think about anything else. Nothing else mattered, not now, when they were finally together again.

As Chris cried, head buried in the crook of Nick's neck, he knew it has all been worth it. All the horrors he had to overcome on his way paled in comparison to this feeling right now.

The room was still, save for the sounds of their erratic breathing, the air thick with tension and disbelief. Sunlight leaked from the tattered window blinds, illuminating the dust that had risen from their frantic entry. The golden rays painted patterns on the floor, but neither of them noticed.

Chris's ocean-blue eyes, which had once sparkled with mischief and joy, were now filled with tears that ran freely down his bruised and dirty face. Every fibre of their being seemed to vibrate with the intensity of the moment, two souls intertwined by endless love and separation, finally reunited.

Nick reached out tentatively, fingers trembling, brushing away the tear trails on Chris's face. "Chris," he whispered, his voice hoarse from screaming and shouting earlier, "I- I…”. Nick’s voice was shaking so much he couldn’t even finish his sentence.

Chris choked back a sob, his lips quivering. "Shhh, it’s alright, I know”, he said, tightening his grip on Nick’s shoulder. They didn’t need to say anything, they both understood each other fully without words, completely connected as always.

Now that the initial shock has died down a little bit, Nick took the chance to check Chris over, eyes scanning his figure for any injuries, taking in the torn clothing, the scratches and bruises, the way Chris slightly favoured one leg. "Are you hurt?" he asked, voice filled with panic. He was already looking around the room for where he discarded his backpack, knowing he still had some medical supplies inside.

"I'm okay, a few scrapes but I’ll be fine once I rest. But, Nick, where's Matt? Don’t tell me he’s...?" Chris’s voice revealed his panic by the end. He was so overjoyed at seeing Nick after two months of constant fighting, but now the moment was broken and Chris couldn’t think of a good reason why Matt wouldn’t be there with Nick. Was somewhere in this hellish city, left alone to fend for himself? Was he hurt? Was he…

Chris couldn’t even finish that thought in his head, already feeling himself starting to hyperventilate, his emotions switching from relief and joy to those of disgusting, sickening panic and dread.

Nick's face paled, his eyes widening. "No, no, he’s fine, he's safe. Well – safe enough", he rushed to say, noticing Chris’s rapidly worsening spiral. Chris's relief was palpable, his shoulders sagging as he took a deep, steadying breath. "Thank God," he murmured, resting his head down on Nick’s shoulder.

Nick smiled softly, rubbing small circles on his arm. “He’s back at the cabin. He’s really sick though, that’s why I came here, he needs proper medicine and there wasn’t anything left in the smaller towns around us”, he added.

Chris looked back up at that, not bothering to mask his concern. “How sick?”, he asked, already imagining the worst. He didn’t use to be this high-strung, but the experiences from the past two months made him paranoid, always jumping to the worst possible conclusion.

“He’ll be fine once we give him the antibiotics I’ve found. I just came out of the hospital and was on my way back to the car when I spotted you”, Nick explained, then averted his gaze and shrunk under the burning guilt and regret that overcame him at the memory of what happened immediately after.

Of course, Chris noticed. “So you’ve got the medicine already? That’s good news right? And you couldn’t have planned this better if you tried, we really lucked out with the timing, if either of us came running down that street any sooner or later than exactly then, I’d be toast bro.”

“Yeah… you’re right”, Nick sighed, not ready to reveal how close he was to leaving Chris behind, again.

“As much as I’m loving this reunion, we should head home as soon as possible. I physically can’t be in this hellhole city any longer and I need to see Matt so much my skin is starting to itch bro”, Chris could tell Nick wasn’t telling him something, but decided to let it go for now. They had more pressing things to worry about, after all. They would have all the time in the world to catch up, chill and talk once they’re safely at home.

"I know, but we have to be careful," Nick warned, looking around the dim room, his senses on high alert once more. "With all the noise we made, I wouldn’t be surprised if every infected from the entire fucking city is waiting for us outside. We can't rush this."

Chris nodded, determination set in his eyes. "We’ve got this. There’s no way I’m letting anything go wrong now”, he held eye contact while saying this, “now that I’ve got you with me, it’s like all my exhaustion is gone. The goal I’ve been striving towards for months is right in front of me, you can bet nothing will stop me from getting us both home to Matt. We’ll be together again soon.”

Nick smiled weakly, his heart swelling with love for the man in front of him. They had been through so much, together and apart, faced insurmountable odds, and yet their love had always been their continuing source of strength. "Together," he echoed.

They both stood up, arms wrapped around each other, offering and drawing strength and comfort. The room was filled with the soft glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows that seemed to envelop the two men in a hopeful embrace.

But reality soon intruded. The distant groans and screams reminded them of the imminent danger. They pulled apart, and began to gather whatever they could use as weapons and supplies.

As they prepared to leave, Nick looked deep into Chris's eyes, the intensity of his gaze conveying all the love and promise of a future together. "We're going to get through this," he said with conviction.

Chris nodded, taking Nick's hand. "Let’s go home," he whispered, and with that, they stepped forward, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

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After a lot of sneaking, running, whisper-yelling and even actual fighting for their lives, Nick and Chris actually managed to make it out of the hellish city. Luckily they’ve made it to the outskirts right after sundown, so they didn’t need to run around, dodging and fighting zombies with limited visibility, thus the hardest part was behind them.

“Fucking finally”, Chris groaned once they safely escaped that nightmare place.

“I am never, ever, setting foot in that shit stain sorry excuse of a city again”, added Nick, equally out of breath. They slowed their pace once they were a safe distance away, they could barely continue to walk, after all.

“What are you laughing for? You goof”, Nick asked, staring at Chris in confusion as he noticed him laughing softly under his breath.

At that, Chris laughed even harder, wrapping one arm around his stomach as he threw his head back, then moving to elbow Nick in his side with the other.

“It just feels so good hearing you complain again”, he said with such an honest, happy smile that it made Nick’s heart swell with warmth, making him automatically smile in return.

It wasn’t long before they made it to the car, a glimmer of hope finally in their sights. But that glimmer dimmed ever so slightly when Nick spotted it first. "Oh for fuck’s sake," he hissed, frustration evident in his tone.

Chris followed his gaze, landing on the deflated tire. A sigh escaped him, the weight of the journey heavy on his shoulders, "Of course there's a flat tire. Just our luck."

Nick chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood, "I feel like we should stop expecting anything to go right the first time, for the sake of not fucking losing it." He opened the trunk, rummaging around until he found the spare tire and the necessary tools.

Chris smirked, appreciating the humour in an otherwise overwhelming situation. "Hey, as long as I don’t need to do anything alone ever again, I’m not complaining."

With familiar ease, they set to work. Nick loosened the lug nuts, and Chris jacked up the car, their actions synchronized as if they'd done this a hundred times before, while in reality, they were lucky they’ve been forced to do it once before. They’d be screwed if not for that one unfortunate flat tire in the not too distant past.

They didn’t need words to coordinate tasks, the silent understanding between them spoke volumes, showing that even though they were apart, they still moved together as one, as if no time has passed.

As Nick unscrewed the flat tire, Chris began, spilling what’s been weighing on his mind, his voice laden with emotion, "I’ve missed this so much you know. The working together. It’s not like I was constantly alone, I’ve met a lot of survivors on the way. Some were actually good people, just trying to make it another day. We'd join forces for a while, but eventually, we went our separate ways, or..." He paused, swallowing the lump forming in his throat, "...or they didn’t make it."

Nick stopped working, diverting his full focus to his hurting brother, his eyes searching his. "I'm so sorry, Chris. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’ve gone through but… I want to know everything. I’ll always be ready to listen when you’ll want to talk about it."

Chris nodded, taking a moment to collect himself. "I know. No matter how bad things got though, the thought of both of you kept me pushing forward. I’ve used the promise of making it to you as an excuse for a lot of fucked up things Nick." He looked down, unable to meet his brothers gaze as he admitted it.

"I can't even begin to imagine what you went through," Nick said, as he slid the spare tire into position, deciding to continue working to give Chris even some semblance of privacy by looking away, “but your fight is over now. You’ve made it. And as we get home to Matt, I sincerely hope you’ll find everything you were forced to endure to be worth it. We’ll be there for you no matter what kid, I hope you know that.”

Chris remained quiet for a few moments, unable to respond to that without breaking down completely. He decided to change the subject, clearing his throat and steadying his voice as he spoke. “How’re things back at home?”

Nick knew what he was doing and went with it, knowing it wasn’t real the right time or place for that conversation yet. "Matt and I fortified everything, we’ve got a fence, a lot of traps set, we’ve stocked up on food, water, and medical supplies. We grabbed anything remotely useful from the closest surrounding towns. We knew we had to be ready for anything."

Chris tightened the lug nuts, listening intently. "I dreamt of that cabin. Of the three of us, safe and sound."

Nick paused, looking away for a moment. "We’ve been having nightmares. Every night, waking up either gasping for breath or screaming, the panic and worry over not knowing where and how you were doing… it was indescribable. But no matter how hard it got, we never lost hope, we knew you'd come back to us."

Chris felt a surge of warmth, appreciating the depth of their love and trust. "Good thing I’ve made it then. How's Matt, truly?"

Nick exhaled heavily, "Physically, you know he's sick, I hate that I had to leave him by himself, especially when he can’t defend himself, but we've got the medicine now so I hope that’ll be enough. But mentally... honestly, it's been rough. He's been strong, he’s had to be, since he had to take care of me so much,” Chris snapped to look at him at the quiet admission, “but the constant worry, the nightmares, the anxiety... it took a toll. He needs you, Chris. We’ve felt your absence all the time and it hurt so bad it got hard to breathe or function at times. We really need to be three again."

Chris nodded fiercely. "And we will be. We'll get back to him, get him better, and none of us will ever be left alone again”, he said confidently, not noticing how Nick flinched at his choice of words.

Their task done, the two stood up, dusting off their hands. Chris hesitated for a brief moment, then quickly went to pull Nick into another hug, wrapping his arms tightly around the other’s back.

Nick exhaled loudly, grabbing onto Chris with equal fervour. He normally wasn’t so fond of such intense physical affection, but the world has changed and so has he. Currently, nothing could match the feeling of holding his finally-found brother close, the warmth of his skin on his own, his breaths on his neck and the beating heart in his chest.

With a renewed sense of purpose, they climbed into the car, ready to reunite with their missing part. As the engine roared to life, they exchanged a glance, a silent promise passing between them: they'd face whatever lay ahead together. They’d never be apart again.

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Only for that to not end up happening.

As Nick and Chris finally made it home a few hours later, they immediately noticed the front door was open, their cabin completely ransacked.

The cherry on top? There was no sign of Matt anywhere. He was just gone.

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When Nick and Chris got home that night, the first thing they noticed, even through the darkness of the night, was that the front door was left open.

As their eyes settled on the slightly ajar front door, their hearts simultaneously skipped a beat. A chilling silence enveloped them, and for a split second, everything seemed eerily still, their good mood gone in a second.

“Nick, did you…”, Chris started asking, hoping this was due to Nick simply forgetting to close it after leaving in a rush the previous morning, but stopped once he noticed the other’s panicked expression.

“Chris…”, he didn’t need to say any more, they were instantly on the same page. Nick had definitely closed that door. Matt was too sick to move, it was unlikely he went outside that day. Someone had been here, maybe still was.

And Chris was off, the gravel crunching under his hurried footsteps. "Matt?" His voice wavered, echoing the trepidation he felt. Nick, equally frantic, followed suit, both brothers calling out simultaneously, "Matt! Matt, are you there?"

The smart thing to do would’ve been to remain quiet, to check the cabin carefully and asses their situation calmy. They couldn’t know what waited for them, it could be a stay infected that would suddenly attack them, drawn by the sound of their voices, or even a dangerous group of armed survivors. They didn’t have enough information.

But knowing Matt was in danger made all their rationality and calmness fly out the window. They were both men of action anyway.

So they stormed the house, making a dash towards Matt’s room, hoping against the odds that he was there sleeping, and this was all just a false alarm. No such luck though.

“Matt? You in here kid?”, Nick asked loudly as they entered his room, unable to keep the worry from his voice.

Chris quickly scanned the whole room with his eyes. “He’s not in here Nick, FUCK”, he yelled out, shaking with panic and anger, then turned around, exiting the room and darting to the next. “He has to be here somewhere”, he growled, enraged, his fear making him angry.

Each room they entered was a whirlwind of emotion; hope, followed swiftly by mounting despair. Chris's blue eyes darted around, scanning every inch, his brow creased with worry.

"Come on, come on. MAAATT?! Where the fuck is he, he has to be here," Nick yelled, as if saying it aloud would make it true.

Chris's voice, thick with fear, responded, "He couldn't have gone far, Nick. You said he was too sick to even move."

As they searched the cabin, a harrowing realisation dawned upon them. Though the furniture remained untouched and not a single frame was askew, the stark emptiness of their food and medicine cabinets told an obvious story. It was as though someone had ghosted through their lives, taking only what was useful, and in this case, what was most vital.

“He’s not here, is he?”, Nick asked uncharacteristically quiet, with a pained, teary voice, already knowing the answer.

It was safe to say there were no infected involved in this. It had to have been a group of survivors. Either they just so happened to stumble upon the cabin and ‘lucked out’ on their supply run… or they’ve been observing them and chose to raid their home once they saw Nick leave. The details didn’t matter currently, the result was the same.

“Someone took him.” Chris said in a low tone, voice even. But as Nick looked at him, he saw how his fists were clenched so hard his knuckled turned white, his whole body shaking in anger.

Nick's face contorted in agony, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "They took everything, Chris. Everything we spent months risking our lives to collect and it still wasn’t enough. Why did they have to take Matt too?" His voice was filled with such raw pain that it sent shivers down Chris's spine.

Chris, unable to hold back, let out a pained, angry groan, that progressed into a scream. This was just too much. He had been fighting for his life day and night of over two months, the thought of making it home to his brothers his only source of strength. And now he was finally here, after everything he had to endure, only to have his dream turn into a living nightmare.

“When I find the fuckers that did this…”, Chris was seething, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.

I’ve never seen him this angry, Nick thought distantly, then turned his tearful gaze away, sighing deeply. This is too much. Nick's breathing became laboured, the culmination of recent events overwhelming him. His eyes darted frantically, panic evident in their depths. "First I lose you, and now Matt," he choked out. "The only thing we want is to be together, is that too much to ask? Why does this keep happening… I can't... I can't do this anymore."

Chris, recognising the onset of a panic attack, immediately enveloped Nick in a firm embrace. "Nick, look at me. I’m with you now. We're together. And we're going to find him." His voice was soothing, yet laced with a quiet desperation.

Drawing deep, ragged breaths, Nick tried to calm himself, clinging to Chris as though he were a lifeline. “I’m just so fed up with this bullshit, Chris. This time it wasn’t some insane force of nature, bad luck or even the actual fucking zombies that separated us, it was people. It didn’t need to happen. We don’t even know why the fuck they took him…”

“Shhh, calm down, I hate to be harsh here Nick, but you need to pull it together. You need to be strong for just a little while longer. We need to get Matt back, that’s the only thing that matters right now and I need you with me on this, okay kid?”, Chris held onto Nick tightly, grounding him.

Nick couldn’t stop a few tears from escaping. “I know, ughh, of course I know that… it’s just so frustrating, I’m so mad I can’t help but cry… he better be completely fucking unharmed when we find him.”

“No shit dude, if they hurt him in any way I swear I’ll take my time destroying them.”

They were going after Matt immediately, that much was obvious, self-explanatory and non-negotiable to both of them.

Nick nodded, once again they were in full agreement. “Oh yeah, no, they’re dead men walking as is.”

Chris gave a small smile in response. “Now come on, let’s see if we can find anything useful to take with us and move.”

A small light bulb went off in Nick’s head at that. “Come with me for a moment”, he said to Chris, not waiting for his response before going down the hall to the basement.

Chris followed him quietly, waiting for Nick to show what he wanted. He watched as he began to pry up a section of the floorboards, revealing a small hidden hole underneath. "Matt and I... we prepared for something like this. An emergency stash."

Chris blinked in surprise, the tiniest bit of relief momentarily flooding him. "Smart," he whispered. "At least we won’t starve."

“Yeah, it should be enough to last us until we find Matt”, Nick assessed.

“Good. We won’t need to waste time scavenging for supplies on the way”, Chris agreed.

Nick started taking the food and supplies from the hole. “We need to leave as soon as possible, we don’t know when they left here but they could still be close by”.

“Agreed. Let’s pack up and go.”

As they worked, chatting lightly, Chris started thinking out loud. "They didn't break anything," he mumbled, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "There's no sign of a struggle either, no blood. Maybe... maybe they didn't harm him."

Nick nodded, his gaze distant as he processed the thought. "But why take him? It doesn’t make any sense."

The weight of the unanswered questions pressed heavily on their shoulders, rendering them momentarily immobile in their sorrow.

"Whatever the reason… We'll find him," Chris finally whispered, determination evident in his voice.

“Obviously. Those fuckers better pray a herd of zombies get to them first, honestly, they’d get off easier than when I-…”

After the initial shock and dread lifted a bit, Chris and Nick helped each other replace that overbearing panic and helplessness with love and determination. Because that’s who they were. They might be each other’s greatest weakness in the sense that losing one of them would completely cripple the others, but they were also each other’s greatest strength – if one of their well-being was on the line, the others would stop at nothing to help him, they would never complain, they would never grow tired. They would just get it done. Simple as that.

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Two weeks later and miles away from their cabin, Matt tightened his grip on the axe, taking deep breaths and mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. There’s no time to hesitate, he turns off his thought, lifts up the axe with one arm and, with all his might, swings.

He still couldn't believe how the last two weeks had unfolded. It was like something out of a dramatic movie, one with a mandatory complication, plot twists, unexpected allies, new enemies and another turn for the worst just before they could reach their happy ending. He closed his eyes, recalling the events that led him to this moment.

The day Nick left...

Just hours after Nick left, loud creaking of the cabin floors could be heard throughout their home. The unsettling noise seemed to signal the approach of something, or someone. But for Matt, trapped in the haze of illness, the world had become a blur, and he remained oblivious to the looming danger.

Three silhouettes stealthily made their way through the dimly lit cabin. The distinct, intertwining personalities of this trio were as contrasting as night and day, but fit together surprisingly well.

The first one to enter was JJ, a tall blonde with a boyish charm, his physique showcasing a past of hard work and adventure. Despite his athletic build, his devil-may-care attitude often landed him in precarious situations.

Behind him, there was Kiara, the bravest, most stubborn and kindest woman you could come across, making her the exact kind of friend one would want by their side during an apocalypse.

And then there was Pope, the voice of reason in the group. His deep-set eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, his analytical mind weighing each situation and its potential outcomes, always trying but failing to get the others to think first and act second.

As they entered, the cabin appeared empty at first glance, and since there was no imminent danger, it didn’t take long for JJ and Kiara to start bickering under their breaths.

Pope was quick to break their chattering. "Shhh," he whisper-shouted, a mixture of frustration and concern evident in his voice. "Keep it down! We have no idea if someone's hiding here."

JJ paused, turning to smirk at Pope, and with a playful salute retorted, "Roger that, captain cautious!" His mischievous grin never left his face, even in the gravest of situations.

Kiara, always the mediator, rolled her eyes and sighed. "Both of you, cut it out. I’d like to be back before the end of the day this time."

As they continued to search the kitchen, they stumbled upon their jackpot – a stash of food, water, and medicine. "This is it, guys! Christmas came early!" JJ exclaimed, already starting to sort through what was useful.

He and Pope began taking everything they could and backing it into their bags, while Kiara went on to search the place further.

Pope nodded in agreement, "Seems we lucked out. But we still need to be careful, someone probably lived here recently and we don’t know what happened to them."

It was then that they heard Kiara's shout from another room. “Guys, come in here, there’s someone here!”

They instantly dropped what they were doing and rushed to her side, a small room at the back of the cabin. They were tense, preparing to fight if necessary, but froze as their gazes fell upon a bedridden Matt. Kiara was kneeling by his side, alarm evident in her eyes. “He looks bad guys, I don’t know if he’s gonna make it like that.”

The sight of a young man, possibly even younger than them, burning with fever and lost in delirium, gave them all pause. His pale face was a sharp contrast to the dark sheets, and every raspy breath he took seemed to be a struggle.

For a moment, they were lost in contemplation, each grappling with the weight of the decision before them.

JJ was the first to voice his thoughts, "Well fuck.”

Kiara turned up to look at him, her concerned gaze turning into a determined one. “We can't just leave him here like that, especially after taking all his food and supplies, it’d be the same as killing him."

Pope's hesitance was clear. "We don't know him. It's risky."

Kiara was visibly annoyed, with her voice firm with resolve, she continued, "He’s our age Pope and he’s alone. He’s probably just a normal dude and he’ll be grateful to be a part of a group.”

“He might not even want to join us, have you considered that?”, Pope countered.

JJ remained quiet during their argument, content with going with whatever decision the others reach.

Kiara was getting properly angry now, “Then we let him leave? The fuck? Stop making up excuses to justify killing someone.”

Pope sighed, knowing when to give up. "Okay, okay, fine! But we need to move fast."

As the three of them set to work, trying to make Matt comfortable, Kiara gently dabbed at his forehead with a wet cloth, her heart going out to the stranger. "It's going to be okay," she whispered, more to herself than to Matt.

Matt's hazy consciousness picked up bits and pieces of their conversation. The gentle lull of Kiara's voice seemed to pierce through his fevered state, providing a strange sense of reassurance.

JJ, ever the resourceful one, started constructing a make-shift stretcher, using some wooden planks and torn sheets. "Alright, team effort. On three," he said, coordinating the delicate task of lifting the sickly Matt onto the stretcher.

Pope, grunting with the effort, shot JJ an annoyed glance. "Next time, you get the bottom end," he huffed.

“Ugghhh,” Matt groaned weakly as he was being moved, fighting and failing to open his eyes.

"Just relax, bro," JJ's voice floated to Matt, filled with a jovial ease that was signature JJ. "We've got the heavy lifting from here."

The trio made their exit shortly after that, with Pope and JJ carrying a deathly sick guy whose name they didn’t even know on a stretcher between them, with heavy bags of supplies on their backs.

They had to make most of their journey on foot, since the surrounding areas consisted mostly of mountains, hills, woods and rough, rocky terrain. When they got to their car, parked a couple of miles away, the ride back to their base was a lot smoother.

Once finally back, John B, Sarah and Cleo welcomed them eagerly. The remaining members of their small group were worried whether all three of their friends would return safely and didn’t expect them to show with an additional person in the slightest. When they learned of what happened, they were quick to help the sick stranger, they had the proper medicine he needed, after all.

So that’s how Matt ended up in the new groups base, safe and on the mend, but still days away from waking up, completely ignorant to what was going on around him, or his brothers’ desperate search to find him.

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Matt’s consciousness started slowly fluttering back, trying to pull itself out from the depths of its fevered slumber. His head throbbed, every small movement sending a new wave of pain through him. The unfamiliar smell, the feel of the bed beneath him, and the distant sound of voices only confused him further.

He struggled to open his eyes, normally he’d just give up and let sleep consume him again, but this time was different solely due to the fact that he could not recognise his surroundings.

Where am I? What the fuck is happening? Why isn’t Nick by my side? Where's Chris? These thoughts consumed him, feeding his confusion and fear. He didn’t know what was going on but based on their situation, it couldn’t be anything good.

He knew he had been very ill, but even if Nick had somehow managed to get him to a make-shift hospital for help, there’s no way he’d leave him to wake up alone. Which could only mean Nick wasn’t here. Panic surged, compelling him to act, to flee. He attempted to sit up, but his body felt impossibly heavy, almost as if he was anchored to the spot.

As if sensing his distress, multiple figures rushed into the room. “Hey, hey, easy there!” a voice exclaimed.

He felt hands gently but firmly holding him down, keeping him from moving. His eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the strangers around him. A girl with dark, curly hair and a calm demeanour met his eyes, trying to comfort him, "Don’t worry, you're safe, we’re only trying to help. Just take a deep breath.”

Matt’s gaze met another pair of concerned eyes, belonging to a blonde boy, JJ, yet another person he'd never seen before. “Dude, don’t freak out, alright? We found you in your cabin on a supply run, you were seriously sick as shit bro, it’s be pretty messed up if we just left you there ya’ know,” he said, hoping his words would pacify the visibly distressed man.

Matt looked over them, counting six strangers, all around his age, maybe slightly older. They looked… interesting. It didn’t feel like he was in danger, though one can never be certain.

Still, his heart raced, anxiety bubbling over as memories of the cabin, Chris, who was still MIA, and Nick, who went out in search of medicine, rushed back. “Nick... Chris... Where are they? What did you do to them?!” he croaked, his voice raw.

He saw the group exchange glances, confused. Kiara, placing a soothing hand on Matt’s arm, spoke in a soft voice, “There was no one there besides you. We couldn’t just leave you like that, so we’ve been taking care of you.”

The weight of the realisation hit Matt like a brick wall. It seemed like they managed to randomly stumble upon their cabin the exact day Nick had left on a supply run for his medicine, and thinking he was the only one living there, took pity on him and took him with them.

Which meant that Nick would have returned to an empty cabin, without a trace of him anywhere. Just imagining his brother’s crushing fear, panic and despair after coming home to an empty house… the thought broke his heart.

“Ho- How long was I out for?”, Matt questioned, mind still reeling from the influx of new, possibly life-changing information.

“It’s been a week, man, you were pretty fucked up, not gonna lie”, JJ was quick to answer.

Sarah rolled her eyes, “JJ could’ve worded it better, but it’s true enough. You’re lucky my friends found you when they did and we had proper medication here, let’s leave it at that.”

Matt took an involuntary sharp breath at that. “An entire week… Thank you guys so much for helping me, I genuinely appreciate it and am so thankful there’s still good people around, but… the thing is… I was living there with one of my brothers, Nick… he went out alone, searching for medicine to help me. We were already waiting for our other brother Chris to make it home, so now when Nick came home to find me gone…”, Matt tried his best explaining their situation quickly, but began breathing heavily again by the end, a start of an anxiety attack that spiralled into another intense coughing fit.

“Nick... He would have been so scared and broken. He would have thought I was...” Matt trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, tears forming in his eyes.

Tension rose in between the others in the room, who were all quick to catch on. They were like family themselves, they could easily imagine the intense, hopeless sort of fear they’d feel if one of their own went missing.

“Well shit, man.” JJ cringed a bit.

“Look,” Pope chimed in, “We didn’t know the full story, we just acted on what we saw. A sick guy alone in a cabin. We figured helping was the right thing to do.”

“He’s right… I’m sorry for the problems we’ve caused, but we made the right choice based on the limited information we were going off,” Kiara added sadly.

Matt swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat. “I understand, and I really am thankful for your help, who knows how I’d turn out without it, there’s no guarantee my brother would’ve even found the right medicine and made it back in time. But I need to go back now. Nick needs to know I'm okay, he’ll destroy himself with worry otherwise” he whispered desperately.

John B leaned against the doorway, finally deciding to step in. “I understand, believe me, I know what it’s like for a family member to disappear and what lengths you’d go through to get them back. If you and your brothers are anything like us… we understand you can’t keep them waiting. But you're still not well enough to travel.”

Sarah nodded in agreement, her blonde hair catching the light. “He’s right. We get it, we really do, but if you went out now, you’d only get worse again.”

Noticing Matt’s increasingly panicked look, Kiara jumped in before he could spiral further, “But… we can go instead. We’ve been there once, we can find it again. We’ll either find your brother and bring him here… or we can at least leave a note explaining what happened. How does that sound?”

Hesitating for a moment, considering his weak state, Matt finally nodded and whispered, “Okay, please... Just find him. Tell him I'm okay.”

Kiara smiled and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, we’ve got this. You just focus on getting better.”

After a while of going back and forth, it was decided that Kiara, Sarah and John B would go on an extended supply run – stopping at the cabin on the way there and back, giving them more opportunities to run into Nick.

As the trio geared up to head out, Matt was left with Pope, JJ, and Cleo. An awkward silence enveloped the room, broken only by JJ’s attempt at lightening the mood, “So, Matty-boy, what's the story with that cabin? Was it your secret hideout or something?”

Matt chuckled weakly, appreciating the attempt. “Not really secret. It was our family cabin. After the world went to shit...” he paused, sighing, “It became our home base. Nick and I were already there when everything started, so we got lucky...”

Cleo, her eyes sympathetic, inquired, “And Chris?”

Matt cringed at the question. “Chris, he… he’s always been a bit… irresponsible. He forgot to renew his passport and me and Nick got too angry, we didn’t want to miss our flight because of it, so we left him behind. He was supposed to join us with a delay, but the fucking apocalypse broke out the day before his new flight.”

Pope nodded thoughtfully. “Oh boy do I know the type... families… they complicate things, but they make all of it worth it.”

JJ, ever the light-hearted one, quipped, “Well, unless it’s my family. Then it's just complicated!”

Despite the circumstances, a smile tugged at Matt’s lips. “Thanks, guys. I know we just met, and the circumstances are weird, but I appreciate everything.”

Cleo responded with a grin, “No one should be alone man, especially in times like these.”

As the hours rolled by, they shared stories, and even managed to make Matt laugh a bit. Despite the looming worry for Nick, he felt grateful for these unexpected allies. Their company helped dull the pain of uncertainty, plus it felt good to talk to other people again, after two months of talking almost exclusively with just Nick.

After a while of talking, Matt finally lost the battle with sleep, and drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

The next morning, the sun's golden rays poured into the makeshift base, signalling the start of a new day. Matt, now steadier on his feet, carefully made his way out of his resting space, the echoes of his shoes making soft taps on the aged gas station floor.

JJ, spotting him first, gave a teasing salute. “Well look at you, Mr. Healthy, all up and about! Thought you'd be bedridden for at least another day.”

Matt chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, “Just eager to get out of bed and do something, I legit think I’m too anxious to stay sick. Where even are we?”

Pope, who was tinkering with some old machinery, glanced up and said, “Welcome to Gas Inn, the safest, most luxurious gas station-turned-home in the middle of nowhere. We found it abandoned and decided to make it our base."

Matt raised an eyebrow, amused, “Gas Inn?”

Cleo laughed, twirling a wrench in her hand, "Hey, don’t knock it. It’s got a charm to it, plus it's just far out enough to avoid any wondering people, well, for the most part."

The worn-out sign of the gas station, combined with makeshift beds, storage areas filled with canned food, and a couple of broken down vehicles, painted the story of resourcefulness and resilience. Some areas had been cleared out, making room for sitting spaces where the group would gather for discussions or simply to share a moment of respite.

As they walked, they passed by a makeshift kitchen. “We didn’t bother planting anything yet, since it’s too close to winter. We’ve prepared this spot for the spring though,” Pope explained, pointing towards a small garden patch. “Not much, but luckily it’ll be enough to provide us with what we need."

Matt, taking in the surroundings, noted the camaraderie between the trio. “You’ve done well for yourselves. It’s impressive.”

JJ smirked, leaning against a car, "Thanks, survival brings out our creative side. Speaking of which, how did you and Nick manage?”

Matt sighed, “We were lucky we had a safe place away from the general population from the get-go. We had some supplies, it lasted us long enough to learn to hunt, and we’d go out for supplies whenever we could. We needed to prepare enough to last us through the winter.”

Cleo nodded understandingly, “Makes sense, the winters can get rough around here.”

As the tour continued, the weight of the absence of the others pressed on Matt's mind. "How long have the others been gone?"

Pope looked at a makeshift calendar scribbled on the wall. “They left yesterday morning. They should’ve been back by now."

A sinking feeling gripped Matt's heart. “Maybe they stayed at the cabin overnight?”

JJ, trying to be optimistic, replied, "Probably. Or they just found something interesting on the way back and got distracted."

Cleo, always the voice of reason, chimed in, “If something went wrong on the run it’s not unlikely to spend the night anywhere until it was safe to move. Then they still have the whole way back, probably stopping at the cabin to rest. If they don't return by mid-day tomorrow, I say we go look for them."

Matt nodded, concern evident in his eyes. “I’m down. They went out for me, after all.”

Pope, placing a reassuring hand on Matt's shoulder, said, "We look out for each other here. They also made their own choice to go, we all knew the risks."

The day unfolded with the looming uncertainty of the return of their comrades. The group kept busy, prepping for any emergencies, and sharing tales of their experiences.

In between, they laughed at JJ's antics and his endless tales of almost getting caught while scavenging. Cleo complained about how she always made the best choices but the other fools still wanted to try doing things on their own. Pope described the first days of the apocalypse and how they ended up finding this place.

The stars took their position in the night sky, with no sign of the missing trio (or a quartet, if they brough Nick with them). Matt, looking up, wondered what his brothers were doing right now. How did we end up separated like this… the only thing we wanted was to be together… please let this end well.

Cleo, joining him, placed a comforting hand on his back. "They’ll come back, boy. Tomorrow, if they don't return, we set out.”

With hope burning in their hearts, they retired for the night, praying for the safe return of their friends and the challenges the next day would bring.

Against all their hopes and wishes, no one returned by mid-day the next day. Matt, Pope, JJ and Cleo were left with no other choice but to go after them. They were quiet as they prepared their backpacks, filling them with food, water, some medicine and weapons. They agreed to head to the cabin first, then to the town the three were planning on hitting for their supply run. If they didn’t find anything, or if anything went wrong and they got separated, they’d head back to this base in three days, hoping to find the others already here.

That was the plan. Obviously it didn’t work out.

.

.

.

Nick stood at the edge of a hill overlooking a smaller village, staring blankly at the abandoned scenery. It has been a week since what was supposed to be one of his best days turned into one of the worst. He and Chris made some progress in their search, but obviously not enough, since Matt was still missing.

Nick’s inner voice tormented him. This is taking too long, what if we're already too late? He took a shaky breath, trying to push the thoughts away. But they clung to him like a leech, sucking away his hope.

Chris always seemed to sense Nick's internal struggle. “We’ll find him,” he cut through his toxic thoughts, his voice determined and serious, leaving no room for arguments. “Alive. And those assholes will pay.”

That first night, they managed to spot three distinct sets of footprints, leading away from the cabin and into the woods behind it. They now only existed in their memory, but the mark they had left on Nick’s psyche was deep and unhealed. Chris was already moving again, a few steps ahead, his normally bright eyes dimmed with constant worry. Every crunch of dead leaves beneath their feet echoed the weight of the past week.

That night had been the hardest. Hope had been high when they stumbled upon those footprints, but it withered when the tracks disappeared on the nearest road. The crushing realization that Matt could be anywhere and the footprints offered no clear direction almost broke them. But despair, they both knew, was a ‘luxury’ they couldn't afford.

In the following days, they continued searching in the approximate direction the footprints disappeared in. They were constantly on the move, stopping only to sleep and eat. Though, their meals were humble, consumed more out of necessity than hunger. They never seemed to have any appetite anymore. Sleep was fitful, plagued by nightmares of all horrible scenarios that might have befallen their helpless brother. Each dawn was met with renewed hope and each sunset with sinking hearts. Yet, through it all, the bond between Nick and Chris had never been stronger. They shared the weight of guilt, the burden of loss, and the unwavering determination to find Matt.

Chris would occasionally place a comforting arm around Nick, a silent message that they were in this together. Nick would nod, taking a deep breath, the weight in his chest slightly eased by his brother's presence.

Their conversations were minimal, mostly filled with strategizing or their memories of Matt. Such memories, though painful, were a necessary fire, reminding them of why they needed to push through.

They were both struggling mentally, willing themselves to remain firm and determined, not allowing room for any doubt about Matt’s status, but it was getting harder and harder to ignore the grim reality; Matt had almost certainly been deathly ill when Nick left, so if his captors didn’t provide the necessary medicine… Stop it, he’s fine, Chris groaned internally, forcibly stopping any further thoughts of this kind.

Now, a week into their relentless pursuit, they found themselves on the outskirts of yet another small town, some miles away from the road the footsteps disappeared on.

This town was nothing out of the ordinary, both brothers were used to the sight at this point. They were lucky they still had each other, they kept each other aware and cautious, constantly on the lookout for potential danger – from the dead or otherwise.

Luckily, the town seems mostly cleared out, with only a few stray infected few and far in-between. Situations like these weren’t too unusual, a lot of people were ‘saved’ by the military when they were first establishing safe zones, and most others chose to either flee in search of their families or felt safer in larger groups.

Regardless of the reason, Nick and Chris weren’t complaining, it only made their job a bit easier.

Their goal was simple – they were looking for any signs of life, of any survivors recently passing through. A footprint, discarded items, any surface with some disturbance in the dust, blood, even defeated infected… anything that would indicate someone had been there in the last few days.

They’ve been walking around for a while with no success. Then suddenly, the weight of the silent town was broken by the sound of frantic footfalls and loud, breathless shouts. Nick and Chris instantly went on high alert, their senses hyper-focused on the source of the commotion. It wasn't long before three figures burst into view from around the corner a few streets down, sprinting for dear life. They could make out the figures of two women and a man, their faces painted with raw fear.

"Run!" One of the women shrieked, glancing over her shoulder as she neared Nick and Chris.

"What the—" Chris began, but was cut off by the jarring sight that appeared next: a horde of infected, eyes glazed and mouths agape, were in hot pursuit of the trio.

Adrenaline surged through Nick's veins, drowning out the rising panic. "Oh fuck this," he yelled, grabbing Chris's arm and pulling him forward. They joined the mad dash, hearts pounding, the ever-present threat of the infected closing in behind them.

The three newcomers eventually managed to catch up with them, the five of them now running for their lives together, weaving through narrow alleyways, old cars, and derelict buildings, creating as much distance as possible between themselves and the horde.

The two brothers quickly took note of their unexpected companions. All three were around their age, breathless, and, strangely enough, all had given them a fleeting double take, glancing at them in the midst of their running with wide, confused eyes. It was clear that they recognised them from somewhere, and Nick and Chris, despite the situation, couldn't help but wonder why. Maybe they were old fans?

Chris, in the heat of the moment, yelled over the noise, "Who the hell are you guys?"

"No time!" The only guy from the trio shouted back, the urgency clear in his voice.

They continued running down the main street, eyes constantly scanning for any places to escape to. There were buildings all around them, but going inside one to hide carried the risk of them then getting stuck inside, boxed in by the infected barricading the place from the outside.

Suddenly, Chris noticed a narrow alleyway as they passed. “There!” he shouted, pointing towards it, clearly seeing that it wasn’t a dead end, but rather led to the other side of the buildings. It was a split-second decision, made in the midst of their desperate flight. “Go! Go! Go!”

All of them veered sharply, shoes skidding against the worn pavement as they dashed into the alley. Chris’s heart raced, hoping he made the right call. Nick was at his side, not doubting his call for a second. The alleyway was cluttered, objects strewn across the ground, forming annoying obstacles they had to jump or even climb across. But if it was annoying for them, it would be that much harder for the pursuing horde to cross in their mindless frenzy.

“Quick, help!” Nick yelled, rushing towards a pile of wooden planks and discarded furniture. The others were quick to catch on, and together with Chris and John B, they began to tip and push the heavier objects to the ground, creating barriers. They tipped over trash cans, pushed down old wooden planks, discarded closets and scattered debris across the path, attempting to slow down the ravenous horde as much as they could, each second counted.

The world around them was a blur of motion, each turn, each hurried step, each split-second decision.

They emerged from the other side of the alley, finding themselves on a broader street. Without a word, the group veered right, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the chaotic swarm of death behind them. Their breaths came in gasps, muscles burning from the exertion, but survival outweighed the pain.

There was a taller building up front, an old store that stood out due to its size. “In here!” Kiara yelled, leading the way inside. They didn’t stop until they reached the third floor, the higher ground offering a useful observation point, allowing the group to keep an eye out to any approaching danger.

They outran the horde for long enough, the zombies hadn’t seen where they had disappeared to, even after the first of them started emerging from that alleyway. They made it, they were safe for now.

Nick, Chris, Kiara, Sarah, and John B were now huddled in the third-floor room of the old store, their hearts racing, their breaths ragged from the intense chase they had just evaded. They would all need a few minutes to catch their breaths and calm down enough to even think about starting a conversation.

Nick, his breathing gradually steadying, leaned against a windowsill, wiping sweat from his brow, his eyes haunted by the relentless pursuit they had faced. Chris was at his side, as always, upper body hunched forward, resting his hands on his thighs, still trying to collect himself.

The rest of them were much the same, with Kiara leaning against the wall, John B on all fours, and Sarah laying fully on her back on the ground, all of them panting loudly, absolutely exhausted from all their running.

“W-What the fuck was that?”, Chris was the first to break the silence, after they were all well-enough to talk.

“Hey dudes, sorry you got caught up in our mess, we were just looking for supplies in an old grocery store, didn’t count on all the infected being cooped up in there,” explained John B.

“Yeah… sorry,” apologised Sarah weakly, “I’m Sarah, by the way. And that’s Kiara and John B,” she said, gesturing to each of them.

Nick and Chris just watched, still breathing heavily as the other trio introduced themselves.

“I’m guessing you two are Nick and Chris?”, asked Kiara, looking the two over again.

Nick, his frustration and fear finally bubbling over, cut her off before she could add anything, his voice rising with anger and panic, "So you recognized us before, didn’t you? Are you fans or something? Look, we don't have time for—"

“Fans?”, John B asked, the three of them exchanging looks of confusion.

Chris rolled his eyes at that, no patience left. “Or casual viewers, whatever, doesn’t matter. Our youtube days are over anyway, so it’s not like that matters now.”

Sarah quickly shook her head. "No, it's not that. We're not fans... or casual viewers. We recognised you because… well... you look exactly like Matt."

Nick and Chris both felt their hearts still at the same moment, chests contracting in a tight pain, all colour draining from their faces. They exchanged a look of disbelief, their hearts now beating impossibly fast, their thoughts racing, Matt?

Their anger and frustration suddenly gave way to shock and confusion. Their reactions were nearly instantaneous as they tensed and froze, then recovered just as quickly and started shaking. Their voices rose in near-unison, demanding answers, fear creeping into their expressions.

“M-Matt? What, what do you know about him? Were you the ones who took him?”, Nick was screaming by the end, not being able to stop himself.

"Where is he? What did you do to him? Is he okay? Tell us everything, now!" Chris demanded, their hands clenching into fists. It was as if they were on the verge of unleashing their panic, fear, and pent-up frustration on these strangers.

Nick took his first step forward, wild fury in his eyes, just barely restraining himself from immediately lunging at them.

The other three, Kiara, Sarah, and John B, held up their hands in a gesture of surrender, understanding the brothers' desperation. They spoke quickly to de-escalate the situation and calm them down.

“Woah, woah, wait, calm down, Matt’s alright, I promise,” started John B, slowly moving to stand in front of the two women, just in case.

“It’s true, he’s okay, he’s safe. He was really sick when we found him, but we gave him proper medicine and nursed him back to health,” added Sarah, still warry of the two.

Nick and Chris looked absolutely murderous, glancing wildly between the three, trying to determine if they were lying or not.

“Why the fuck would you take him from us?”, growled Chris through gritted teeth, still as tense as before.

They couldn’t stop the hope from rising within them, hoping against all odds that these people were telling the truth, that they were actually just a kind group helping a stranger, that Matt was really alive and well.

“He was dying, okay?” yelled Kiara, “We were out on a supply run when we just happened to pass your cabin, when we found him… he was in bad shape, he didn’t even notice we were in the room with him. We thought he was there by himself, we couldn’t just leave him to die”, she explained, trying to justify their choices to the two who were most hurt by them.

Nick and Chris were listening to her intensely, eyes open wide, still breathing heavily. They looked at each other, silently communicating. They were probably telling the truth. If they wanted to hurt him, they’d just leave him there. There’s not a lot of them, they’re our age, they don’t seem like horrible people.

“And where is he now?”, yelled Nick with a shaky voice, hopeful but still on edge, neither of them would be able to be genuinely grateful for going out of their way to help Matt, or calm down, not until they saw Matt for themselves.

“He’s with the rest of our group, resting back at the base. He only woke up earlier today, after a week of drifting in and out of unconsciousness. The first thing he did was ask about his brothers…”, answered John B.

Sarah nodded, “He wanted to rush home immediately, he knew you’d lose your mind if you came back to find him gone, but he was still too weak to even stand, let alone hike back to the cabin.”

“I was the one who first found him, together with two others from our group, JJ and Pope. I offered to go back and get you, or at least leave a note for you, if you weren’t there. We were actually passing through here for supplies on the way, we were planning on going to yours after,” Kiara finished explaining.

“So… he really is okay? He’s alive?”, Chris asked in a small voice, eyes already filling with tears. Nick stepped to stand next to him, taking his hand in his own, equally emotionally distraught.

The trio smiled at that, happy to be able to offer some good news to the hurting family. “Yeah, he’s okay, not back to 100% but getting there,” Sarah said warmly.

“Come on, we’ll take you to him,” added Kiara with a genuine smile.

At that, Nick and Chris leaned into each other for support, but ended up stumbling to their knees, their bodies sagging with the overwhelming relief. They didn’t want to relax yet, not until they really see him, but they couldn’t help it; after a horrible week of barely eating or sleeping, constantly stressed and worried out of their minds…

They held on to each other, shaking lightly as the first tears escaped, then made eye-contact and both let out a small chuckle, smiling despite everything.

“He’s okay, Nick. I want to see him so bad,” Chris said quietly, voice breaking, his expression hopeful but desperate.

Nick couldn’t hold off and pulled him into a quick hug, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Soon, Chris. We’ll finally be together again, after everything…”

The others watched over them happily. Sarah even teared up a little. They might not be related, but their group was a family all the same. They could understand what the brothers were going through and were now more than eager to help.

Nick looked up from his spot on the ground, still hugging Chris, “Take us to him now, please.”

Kiara just smiled and said, “Let’s go.”

If they were quick, they’d be back at their Gas Inn in a matter of hours, but one more thing had to go wrong first. Otherwise it’d be too easy.

.

.

.

On their way back, the group was ambushed by at least a dozen armed men. All five were angry beyond belief and had to stifle their stubborn urge to fight back, but given the circumstances, they had no choice but to comply. The enemy group took all of their supplies and were jokingly discussing what to do with them, making disgusting comments and insinuations, laughing at their horrified expressions.

At the end, they decided that it would be a waste to dispose of the five, since they were still so young, and in their prime working shape, so they quickly decided to bring them back with them and force them to work for them.

Nick and Chris were constantly looking at each other, scared and absolutely furious. It seemed like the universe really was against them, not allowing them to catch a break even once. But while some might be tired of fighting, discouraged or ready to give up at this point, Nick and Chris were the complete opposite; they were angrier and more determined than ever. They had each other to protect, so even if they could accept their own fate, neither could allow the other to endure this grim future. Not only that, now they also knew Matt was fine and waiting for them, they couldn’t let him end up alone.

And also, they were both petty as fuck. They couldn’t let these utter trash monsters get their way, Nick and Chris would have to win out of sheer spite.

But there was nothing they could do for the moment, since they were vastly outnumbered and outgunned. They walked obediently, allowing themselves to be lead back to the enemy’s camp, keeping their heads low, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to them. They made eye-contact whenever they could, seeing the stifled rage and determination in each other’s expressions, knowing they had the same idea… it reassured them immensely. They would survive whatever comes their way and escape at the first opportunity. With or without the other three.

.

.

.

After what felt like forever, they could finally make out the building the enemy has been leading them to. “God dammit,” Chris cursed under his breath as he realised exactly where the enemy chose to make their base. “Oh for fuck’s sake,” Nick also caught on quickly, followed by the other three behind them.

The place where the enemy conveniently chose as their home-base was located one town over from the one they met in earlier that day, inside of an abandoned police station. This is bad, Nick thought, immediately understanding how difficult an escape would be.

Being led through the old police station by armed lunatics sent a cold shiver down their spines. The harsh, unforgiving scent of steel clung to the air, almost suffocating, while the cold, sterile walls only served to heighten their discomfort.

There were people all around them, watching and observing them as they were lead through the station. It was hard to see just how many members the enemy group had, but they could tell it was at least a few dozen. There was no scenario in which they could ever fight their way through, even if the enemy didn’t have weapons.

"Look at what we have here boys," one of the men sneered, causing the group to momentarily quicken their pace.

"They ain't gonna last long in this place," another chimed in, igniting a chorus of laughter from his companions.

Nick and Chris shared small glances, their brows furrowed with apprehension. This situation had taken an ominous turn, and they were both aware of how problematic this building would turn out to be. They muttered whispers to each other under their breath, when they were sure their captors wouldn’t hear them.

Kiara, Sarah, and John B trailed directly behind, all of them reaching the same conclusion. Despite the circumstances, they remained composed, understanding the necessity of biding their time and presenting themselves as non-threatening.

The enemies who had captured them seemed to revel in their sadistic power, their unrestrained laughter and crude jokes filled the air, taunting their captives at every turn. The sheer number of cruel remarks and disgusting comments only added to the torment, amplifying the suffocating tension that hung in the air around them.

“Great supply run, you guys. We’ll definitely put these to good use,” someone whistled.

“Hey you, pretty boys, ain’t so tough now are ya?”, another laughed.

Chris clenched his fists, his knuckles white with tension, but Nick shot him a warning glance, silently begging him not to make the situation worse for them. Chris just huffed and remained otherwise silent, gaze fixed on the floor in front of him.

As they were led further through the station, Nick tried observing as much of the place as he could, committing various details to memory. It seemed like there was no shortage of weapons, the hallways were long and narrow, with several rooms on both sides.

Kiara leaned in closer, her voice a breathless whisper, "I get what you’re doing, but make it less obvious, we don’t need them noticing us planning anything."

Nick wordlessly agreed, knowing she was right, but at the same time too nervous to completely control his body language.

Sarah added her agreement, her eyes constantly darting around, "We need to lay low, don’t draw any extra attention our way."

John B nodded in solidarity, "Keep your eyes and ears open, we’ll wait for our chance to talk."

Their hushed conversation provided the tiniest bit of confidence and reassurance, like a glimmer of hope amidst the overwhelming despair, reminding them all that they are not alone in this, that they all had the same idea.

Yet, the onslaught of derogatory comments from their captors continued. "If you ask me, we should lock 'em up and throw away the key, watch ‘em take each other out as they get mad from starvation" one man jeered, sending a ripple of laughter through the group.

“Daamn that’s a good idea, gotta hand it to ya. We can take bets on who caves first,” another added, earning excited shouts from the rest.

"Might as well, we don't need more mouths to feed," another quipped, his words dripping with malice.

Kiara shot them a venomous glance but held her tongue, reminding herself that their escape would be the ultimate act of defiance against these heartless captors.

As they reached the holding cell at the far end of the station, the men leered once more, locking the group inside and delivering a final parting taunt. "You lot stay here for a bit while we figure out what to do with ya."

“I’d say goodbye to each other, just in case,” another grinned and winked maliciously. Laughing at their expressions as he walked off.

In the dimly lit cell, the atmosphere grew heavier, and the group gathered close in a tight circle. Their determination to escape had never been stronger, despite the adversity they faced. The cruel taunts of their captors only served to fuel their resolve.

They waited until no more voices and footsteps could be heard in the distance, before they started properly talking.

“We are sooo fucked,” Nick sighed, rolling his eyes.

“No need to say that twice,” groaned Sarah.

“Guys, focus,” hissed Kiara.

“Let’s go over what we know first,” started John B, trying to get them back on track.

Chris nodded, looking between everyone as he spoke. “There’s at least 40-50 of them and it’s highly likely that all of them are armed, meaning there’s no chance we fight our way out.”

"We've got to lay low for now," Nick added, his voice low and urgent. "Appear weak. We don't want them thinking we're a threat."

Kiara nodded, satisfied that they had the same idea. “It’s crucial that they underestimate us, we need them relaxed and unfocused, it might give us the small window we’re looking for.”

“Especially us,” said John B, gesturing to himself and the other two guys in their group, “they can’t think we’re brave, or willing to fight back. We’re lucky they didn’t take us seriously enough to handcuff us as is, let’s keep it that way."

The others nodded in agreement, and Sarah added, "We need to gather as much information as we can. Learn the layout of this place, find out when most of them sleep, where they keep the keys, where they stash their weapons."

“We’ll keep an eye out for anything each time they take us out. I’d say our first priority should be finding out who or where they keep the keys to this cell,” continued Chris.

“So not giving them a reason to restrain us, finding out who has the keys and where they keep most of their weapons are our main concerns,” Sarah summarised.

John B chimed in with a sombre tone, "Actually, I think there's one more thing we've got to worry about. Our friends, JJ, Pope, and Cleo. They'll get worried when we don't come back by tomorrow, they'll go out looking for us and knowing them, they’ll definitely run into trouble."

Kiara’s expression fell, just now realising the truth in what John B said, "Shit, you’re right,” she then turned to look at Nick and Chris, “and if you three brothers are anything like us, and it certainly seems that way, then Matt will join the search as well."

Nick and Chris exchanged a worried glance, cursing under their breath. They knew there was no way in hell Matt would just sit quietly at home, waiting for them to maybe return. He’d go out looking for them the second he could stand on his own. He’d either miss them completely and end up lost wherever, or he’d find them… which would arguably be worse.

Either way, the result would not be good. The clock was ticking, and the pressure to escape grew more urgent.

"We need to work quickly, but we've got to be smart about this," Chris said. "We don’t have the luxury of messing up."

They all agreed to stick to the plan, understanding the importance of patience and meticulous preparation. The enemy had them trapped, but Nick, Chris, Kiara, Sarah, and John B were determined not to be held for long.

In the next few days, they began to take note of the station's rhythms – when the ‘guards’ changed shifts, where the keys might be hidden, and which areas were restricted. They observed from their cell as other members of the enemy group moved about, becoming more familiar with their habits and routines.

They took them out of their cell, a few at a time, and forced them to help with various tasks, like cleaning or fixing damaged walls. At first they still looked at them like they expected some kind of retaliation, but as the days went by, the enemy slowly started losing interest in them.

No matter how hard it got, the five of them remained strong, swallowing down various horrible comments and insults thrown their way, they never reacted to anything, knowing even the slightest form of rebellion could hinder their chances at an escape.

So they laid low, drawing strength from each other and waited for the best opportunity to act.

That opportunity ended up presenting itself exactly one week after they’ve been taken, when the other side of this enemy base exploded in a wall of flames.

.

.

.

The first three days after starting their search, Matt and the others were left without having found anything; neither Nick nor the rest of the other group, no leads, no nothing. They weren’t ones to admit defeat though, not when it came to this.

However, while they were still as determined to find them as ever, they were also getting progressively more anxious and worried, which resulted in all of them becoming more easily irritated, impulsive and lashing out.

They ended up going to another small town a few miles out, to gather supplies and any new potential information.

“Oh just shut the fuck up JJ, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard”, Matt yelled, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

JJ was quick to match him though, “I don’t see any of you coming up with better ideas!”

“Will you just grow up and stop fighting for a minute? We’re all on the same side here,” Cleo was completely fed up with their stupidity.

They were currently scavenging an abandoned grocery store, stocking up on any remaining food they could find, though most of it has already been cleared out. They were strategising, trying to come up with a new plan of action, since they pretty much reached a dead end. Not that Matt or JJ were of much help here, since both of them suggested the wildest ideas.

Pope chose to wander a few isles away, sick of listening to the others’ insane suggestions. He needed some quiet to think. Something must have happened to them, something serious. Even if all of them got infected, we’d have found something of them left behind. If one of them got hurt, they’d bring them back to either the cabin or our base. That also wouldn’t explain why Matt’s brother is also nowhere to be found… something’s not adding up.

Pope’s thoughts were cut off, as he suddenly heard echoing footsteps and loud voices approaching from the outside. He sprang into action in an instant, rushing back to the others as quietly as he could. “Shh, guys, someone’s coming, be quiet.”

Everyone was immediately on high-alert, all arguments and casual mood forgotten, as they tensed and readied themselves for anything. They listened as the mysterious newcomers entered the store, likely searching for supplies themselves.

Cleo moved first, motioning for others to follow her. They needed to hide, they didn’t have the luxury to assume that the rapidly approaching strangers were friendly. The four of them moved slowly, crouched down to the ground, sticking closely to the walls or shelves, checking every corner before they made a turn.

Eventually, they made it to the cash registers, going around to hide behind them. They sat still on the ground, making themselves as small as possible, remaining completely quiet as they listened to their conversation. At first, it was hard to make out what they were saying, but as the strange group got closer and they realised what they were talking about, dread flooded Matt and the others at a such a speed it made them dizzy.

“-and they’re all such pussies, they didn’t even try to fight back”, one man laughed.

“Smart of em’, they better not if they wanna live. The lot took one look at our guns and knew they were done for,” another joined in.

“I say to hell with all of em’, they’re just extra mouths to feed, more trouble than they’re worth. If it were up to me, I’d just leave em’ locked in that cell, let them rot for all I care.”

A fourth. “You’re too serious dude, wasting a chance like this. The three dudes are young and strong, it would be a waste not to use them for free labour, get them to do all the hard work for us. And the two girlies are far too cute to kill, if you ask me.”

The group continued talking and laughing about this as they packed up everything they found useful. Matt, JJ, Pope and Cleo remained quiet, holding hand over their mouths to stifle their breathing as the group passed them by.

They were sweating profusely, shaking and struggling against themselves to not let any noise escape. They didn’t hear everything the strangers were saying, but they’ve heard enough; their friends, their family has been captured. An enemy group seemed to be holding them, and it sounded like they were heavily armed. This did not look good for them, not at all.

Even after the strangers left, the four remained down low, waiting for an additional 10 minutes, just to be sure. And to calm down, that too.

“Are they gone?” Cleo whispered.

JJ was the first to move, rising slowly to peak over the counter and check their surroundings. “All clear, no one left in here but us.”

The rest exhaled loudly, letting out collective sighs and groans of exasperation and worry.

“This isn’t happening,” Matt whined, momentarily closing his eyes and letting his head drop back in frustration.

“I leave them alone for one day and they managed to get captured,” JJ complained sarcastically.

“Of course they were captured by heavily armed enemies that vastly outnumber us, because of course they did,” groaned Pope, burying his face in his hands.

Cleo was the first to recover. “Seems like it’s up to us to save the lot, again. I should start charging them, honestly.”

“They mentioned three guys and two girls, so I guess we can assume your friends found Nick, but who’s the other person?”, questioned Matt.

“Beats me, could be anybody, doesn’t make a difference now,” sighed Cleo.

“We need to go after them,” shot JJ, who already had adrenalin coursing through his whole body, itching to spring into action as soon as possible.

“Calm down, you ass, we need to keep a level head and come up with a plan. Let’s go over what we know,” answered Pope in a steady voice.

Matt suddenly jolted, remembering a crucial piece of information. “One of them mentioned a cell!”

The others all snapped their head to look at him.

“Shit, you’re right,” Cleo smirked at him.

JJ looked between them confused. “What? Why is that good? Is sounds the opposite of good, keeping them in a locked cell seems exactly like something we don’t want.”

Pope, used to JJ’s behaviour, just rolled his eyes and explained, “It’s good because it narrows down where they could be keeping them. What places do we know that have cells? It can only be a prison or …”

“Or a police station!”, finished JJ excitedly, catching on, “I’d know, I’ve been to both.”

“They’re clearly not from around here, or we’d spot them before, but since we didn’t see or hear a car, it’s likely they’re traveling on foot, meaning their base must be close enough”, Cleo continued their train of thought.

“Me and Nick searched the few closest neighbouring towns on runs before, so they’re not from any of those places, and we can rule out the town we searched two days ago and this one now. Which leaves…”, Matt thought out loud, eager to make any progress.

“Only one option. And you’re not going to like it,” sighed Pope, already feeling a headache starting to form.

The only remaining option nearby was the larger town they’ve all been intentionally avoiding. Larger towns only mean trouble, hordes of infected are impossible to avoid, and the risk of running into hostile survivors is that much higher. Figures a group of violent assholes would chose that place for their base.

Though they didn’t like it, this news changed nothing. All of them knew what they needed to do. They would get their missing family back, no matter what.

Everyone who knew him would assume Matt would be anxious beyond belief in this situation, but anyone who really knew him would know that that was not the case. Matt didn’t mess around when it came to three things in his life, and one of them was locked in a fucking cell, being held captive by armed hostiles, forced to do their dirty work for them. Sorry Nick, wait for me just a little bit longer. He would get him back, without fail.

.

.

.

Since it was already late by then, they decided to find safe place to camp out for the night. They chose what used to be a fancy restaurant, going up to the third floor, where they could observe the outside for any potential approaching danger through the large glass windows. They took turns sleeping and keeping watch, with Matt up last, starting his ‘shift’ at 5 am.

As the first light of dawn pierced through the tattered curtains of the abandoned restaurant, Matt sat awake, back against the wall, staring far out into the distance, his thoughts racing like the wind outside. The others were all asleep, their breaths deep and even in the dim room. So Matt was left alone with his thoughts, which didn’t usually lead to anything good; his mind wouldn't shut off, wouldn't stop replaying the conversation they had overheard the day before.

The enemy had Nick, along with Kiara, Sarah, and John B. They were all trapped, held captive by a group that saw them as nothing more than tools. A cold fury burned within Matt, a silent promise to those who took his other brother away from him. It was bad enough not knowing where Chris was, if he was close, if he was doing aright, if he was even still alive. Stop it, just stop, Matt forcibly cut off his thoughts, he’s fine, they’re both fine. We’ll get back together, I’ll get them back.

He rose quietly, careful not to disturb JJ, Pope, and Cleo, and tiptoed to the cracked window, peering out at the barely-lit town. The quiet was deceptive, like the calm before a storm. He knew his brothers were out there somewhere… Nick in a cold cell, probably scared out of his mind. Matt could only hope they were right in assuming Nick and the other three found each other, and that Nick at least didn’t need to worry over his safety anymore.

As for Chris… Matt’s heart clenched at the thought of Chris finally making it to the cabin, after everything he must have endured, only to find it empty. I can’t let that happen. We need to get home as soon as possible.

In the remaining hours he spent alone, before the others started waking up, Matt played out different scenarios in his head, trying to come up with at least a draft of plan.

Eventually, everyone was up and ready to start what would surely turn out to be a long, horrible day. As they determined the day before, they started heading towards the town where their friend were most likely being held.

It took them most of the day to finally reach it though, since it wasn’t that close, but they finally made it in the late afternoon.

They stopped to assess their situation and make a plan on the outskirts of the city, just at the edge of the surrounding forest.

“What now? We can’t go running in blind, hoping to find something,” started Cleo.

Pope nodded in agreement. “Right. We don’t know where their base is, or what’s waiting for us, but we can assume there will be lots of hordes and stray infected, this enemy group member with guns, or both.”

JJ was already shaking with anticipation, always eager to act. “It’s pretty simple if you ask me, we just need to find any members walking around and follow them home. We follow them, they lead us straight to the others, we break them out, boom, mission complete!”

Pope rolled his eyes, sighing. “JJ, we can’t just wander around aimlessly, hoping to find someone. There’s too many of us in the first place, we’d be noticed immediately. We need to find out exactly where their base is first, then we make a plan on how to save them.”

JJ was about to say something back, but Matt cut him off before he could. “We’re wasting time. I’ll go to the city, I can move fast while I’m alone. I’ll find their base and report back. In the meantime, try to figure out how we’ll actually infiltrate it, or what we can use as weapons.”

The three snapped their heads to look at him, wide-eyed.

“Are you sure? You’ve barely recovered, this might be too much too soon,” Pope asked, a bit concerned.

Cleo was quick to back him up. “He’s right. Maybe you should sit this one out, let someone else this on.”

Matt shook his head firmly. “I’m fine, I can do this. You’re better at strategizing anyway, it makes more sense for me to go. I’ve got this, I promise.”

JJ grinned, flinging his arm over Matt’s shoulder, impressed. “Alright, good to know you’ve got some backbone, keep up this attitude, we’re gonna need it.”

Matt just nodded and looked over the city again. I’ve got this.

This mission was incredibly dangerous, any wrong move could get him caught and/or killed, but Matt couldn’t sit still anymore, he needed to be useful. The thought of his brothers, of Nick feeling scared, waiting for a rescue that might not come, and Chris, who has spent more than two months alone, motivated by the thought of them reuniting, only to discover them both gone… it was unbearable.

They had spent their whole lives looking out for each other, which mostly meant Nick and Chris taking care of Matt, and now, it was his turn to return the favour. He had always been the one they protected, the anxious brother, the one who couldn’t function alone. But not today. This time, he would be the one to bring their family back together, or he would die trying.

He emptied out most of his backpack, keeping only a few essentials. He kept a steel pipe and also tucked a large hunting knife into his belt. Then he went.

In contrast to most small towns they’ve visited on runs, this one was everything but silent – uneven steps of the infected echoed all around, as well as their nasty groans. Not only that, it didn’t take him long to hear the gunshots, proving that the enemy was here, followed by laughter and chatter as he got closer. As Matt crept through the shadows, every step calculated, every breath measured, these echoing sounds only made his job harder.

He slipped behind rusted cars and used the overgrown foliage as cover. His heart hammered against his ribs, a constant drum echoing his fear, but he pressed on, driven by a single, unyielding purpose.

He saw them then – the enemy – a group of men with heavy boots and heavier guns, patrolling the streets with a careless arrogance that made Matt's blood boil. He ducked behind a crumbling wall, watching their lazy movements, memorising faces, counting numbers. It was a dangerous game of cat and mouse, and he was alarmingly outnumbered, and outgunned.

Matt’s mind was racing a mile a minute, he was sweating profusely and had to fight against himself to remain focused. He knew one wrong move, one crunch of gravel underfoot, could mean death. But there was no way he could back down now. He followed them at a distance, always keeping cover between them and himself, always keeping an eye out for the slightest sign of detection, by them or the infected.

After tailing them for a few streets, the police station came into view, its barricaded windows and fortified doors a terrifying fortress in the midst of chaos. Matt's heart sank; the building was a fortress, sealed-off and intimidating. But this was it, this was their base, where Nick and the rest were being kept, he was sure of it now.

He observed from a distance, watching them for around an hour, committing as much as he could to memory – the rotations of the guards, the lazy drag of cigarettes at their posts, the occasional laugh that spilled out from behind the barred windows. It was all information, precious and potentially lifesaving.

With the enemy's base confirmed, Matt retreated. He moved quickly and stealthily, retracing his steps, leaving no trace of his presence. The return to the outskirts was a blur of adrenaline and desperate hope.

The others were there, waiting, their expressions a mix of relief and worry when they saw him emerge from the treeline.

“You’re back,” Cleo breathed out, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Finally, dude, you had us worried,” huffed JJ, with a wide smile.

“Yeah, yeah. Told you I’d be fine,” Matt brushed off their concern with a laugh.

Pope laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder, in a small show of support. “Glad you made it back in one piece. Now, what have you found out?”

Matt’s expression turned serious, it was time for business. “It’s just as we thought, their base is at an old police station. They barricaded everything from the outside, we won’t be getting in through any windows. The front door is also out of the question, they have guards patrolling around in shifts. I couldn’t tell exactly how many people they have, but it’s definitely over fifty. And all of them had guns, as far as I could tell.”

The others listened with grim expressions, their situation was getting worse and worse.

“So, what do we do?”, JJ turned to look at Pope, trusting he’d have come up with something.

Pope was quiet for a moment, before sighing loudly. “Ughh, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but …”, he pinched the bridge of his nose, “we’ll need a big distraction in order to get them out. JJ, you’ll need to cause as much chaos as possible.”

“Oohh yeah baby, now you’re talking,” JJ laughed loudly, already liking where this was going.

Matt just sighed, mentally bracing himself for the upcoming catastrophe. We’ve got this.

.

.

.

It was already late by the time they finished planning out the details of their plan, so they decided to make the track back to another town, a few miles away, where they found a safe-ish building to spend the night in.

They spent another day gathering the necessary supplies and preparing everything, this plan would only work if they managed to secure their own weapons, after all.

They set their plan in motion the day after that, exactly two weeks after Matt had first ‘disappeared’ from their home.

Since there were only four of them, they were left with no other options but to split up, each in charge of their own task, all of them dangerous.

Matt was honestly surprised with himself and how steady he remained through it all. He supposed he had too much on the line to afford breaking down. Nick was waiting for him, after all.

They waited until nightfall, since they relied on the darkness of the night for a little bit of an extra advantage.

They had no way of communicating with each other once they started, but since most of their parts would end up making a significant amount of noise, the rest would have no problem in telling what stage their plan was at.

Matt was crouched down, hiding behind an abandoned car, waiting for his chance. He could clearly see the station from there, facing the western wall, away from the main entrance.

As of now, the only thing to be heard was distant chatter of the enemy patrolling outside, distant moans of the infected and the sporadic crackling of static from the enemy's radios. Matt's heart raced, a rapid drumbeat against the quiet of the impending storm.

His mind was disarray, thoughts, fears and hope swirling around a mile a minute. The plan was a gamble, hinging on everything playing out perfectly and a fair share of luck. Matt knew the risks, the long list of things that could go wrong. But beneath the worry and anxiety was another, more simple thought – that all that didn’t matter, he had to go through with it anyway.

He had to be brave and remain focused. This wasn't just about him; it was about family, about Nick, about reuniting what they had left in this fractured world.

He clenched his jaw, trying to keep any unnecessary thoughts at bay. Just wait for the signal, he reminded himself, a mantra to steady his nerves. Pope's part in the plan was crucial, and everything relied on the success of those homemade bombs. How convenient that their home base was at an old gas station.

Then, with a roar that split the silence and set their plan in motion, the southern wall, the one with the main entrance, was engulfed in flames. The explosion was massive, a fiery declaration that their attack had begun. Matt flinched at the blast, feeling the heat even from his distance. The ground trembled, and a chorus of alarmed shouts rang out from within the station.

Pope had done his job.

As the enemy started rushing out, their silhouettes stark against the blaze, Matt watched the chaos unfold. The second explosion from Cleo's side rang through the air just moments later, adding to the madness. Her explosion was far smaller, the goal was to make a hole in the wall and create another exit, one they would use to get everyone out.

Matt watched her run away from the wall from afar, satisfied her part went right. But there was no time to rest, her next task was to secure a working car, or whatever vehicle they’d use for their quicky getaway once they were finished.

Matt's breathing was shallow, his chest tight with anticipation. He pulled the transparent safety glasses over his eyes, which would help him see through the smoke, and a scarf over his mouth, as a make-shift breathing mask.

Two more, he thought, shaking with adrenalin and anticipation.

It didn’t take long for another explosion to shake the building, this one coming from the east, opposite Matt. Nice going Pope, you did it, Matt grinned. The point of this third explosion was to draw as much focus away from the second one, the one that would serve as his entrance and exit – they needed the enemy members as far away from there as possible.

Just one more, come on. His muscles were already twitching, ready to spring into action at a second’s notice.

Sure enough, the trauma-inducing swirl of groans grew louder, a symphony of death that signalled JJ's approach with the infected in tow. His task was arguably the riskiest one; JJ had to ‘collect’ as many infected from the town as he could, drawing their attention by using himself as bait. He had to outrun them, but not lose them, as he lead them to the police station, straight for their main entrance, where he’d also risk getting shot by the enemy. His life hanged on him managing to slip away during the chaos.

Gunfire erupted from the front of the station, the enemy's panic tangible as they fired into the night. Matt's lips twitched into a grim smile, imagining the chaos his friend was about to unleash with a horde of infected.

If he had time, he might become horrified at himself for his utter lack of empathy for the enemy. But he didn’t have time. There was only space for one person on his mind right now, and he was currently being held in a cell in a burning building, which was now also swarmed by zombies.

He didn’t wait even a beat longer; now that he was sure the enemy's attention was fully fixated on the unexpected breach, the growing inferno and the swarm of infected attacking from the front.

Then, with all the stealth he could muster, Matt darted forward, slipping through the hole Cleo had created. The sharp edges of debris grazed his skin, but he barely registered the pain.

This is it, here I come, Nick, Matt thought, pressing into a narrow alcove to avoid a passing group of armed men. They were shouting, trying to make sense of the situation, trying to form a defensive line. But their fear was palpable, and it gave Matt a bitter sense of satisfaction. You're not so tough now, are you? he mused darkly.

Inside, the police station was a labyrinth of corridors and locked doors. Smoke curled into the air, and though his eyes were protected, the scarf did little to shield him against the acrid burn. He did his best to regulate his breathing, struggling not to cough. He can’t be noticed, not now.

He could hear the shouts of the enemy, the panicked screams of confusion and command, as they tried to rally against the sudden siege.

Matt's heart hammered in his chest as he moved through the dimly lit hallways. Each step was a silent plea for luck, for time, for the chance to see his brother again. His hand tightened on the grip of his axe – a close-range weapon, but aside from the knife tuckered under his belt, it was all he had. For now.

He needed to act fast, he knew JJ would be coming in after him as soon as he managed, but they had no time to waste. They agreed Matt would focus on finding the key to the cell, and JJ would search for their gun supply; they’ll likely end up needing them. Though, if either happened to find the other’s item first, they’d take it of course, and meet by the holding-cells when they’ve got it.

Matt ran around, checking every room he passed. There’s nothing here, just old office spaces. They probably kept the keys closer to the main entrance. A sharp crackle of a radio from an adjacent room snapped him back to reality. He ducked out of sight, pressing his back against the cool wall. His breathing was too loud in his ears, each exhale a turbulent storm of dread and determination.

Footsteps approached, then receded. Matt counted the seconds, waiting for the perfect moment to continue his search. He would have to get further ahead, closer to the main entrance and all the chaos. The risks just rose exponentially.

After what felt like forever, Matt managed to find what he assumed had to have been the main office. Please let me find them here, he thought as he started rummaging through drawers for the keys they so desperately needed.

Matt's fingers brushed against the cold metal of the drawers, his hands trembling slightly as he rushed through the contents. Papers, folders, old photographs — relics of a world that no longer existed. They were running out of time, he had to hurry.

The room was dimly lit, the light bulb above flickering intermittently, casting long shadows across the walls. The chaos from outside was booming in the background, the distant sounds of screams and gunfire not letting up for a moment.

Focus, Matt. One thing at a time, he thought, forcing himself to ignore the chaotic sounds of the apocalypse that raged outside. He opened another drawer, his eyes scanning quickly, efficiently.

“What the-, hey you!” A voice cut through the room — angry, loud, and dangerously close. Matt’s body tensed, and he spun around, his heart pounding against his ribcage like a bird trying to escape.

An enemy stood in the doorway, his face contorted with confusion and rage. "What the hell are you doing out of your cell? How did you get out? The only key is with me!" the man barked, advancing toward Matt with a menacing glare. His hand were empty, but Matt could clearly make out the outline of the gun at his side.

For a moment, Matt's mind went blank with fear, but then the implication of the man's words dawned on him, and a twisted sense of relief coursed through his veins. He thinks I’m Nick.

The realisation was a double-edged sword — it was basically a confirmation that Nick was indeed here, alive, but also meant immediate danger.

Matt knew there was no talking his way out of this, and his hand inched toward the axe, lying inconspicuous at his side. But the enemy was quicker, his movements fuelled by sheer rage and the adrenaline of the unfolding chaos.

The man lunged at Matt, grabbing the gun from his pocket, a snarl etched onto his face. Matt dodged, the man's momentum carrying him past, giving Matt the small window he needed to grab the axe and use it to knock the gun from his hand. A small victory, at least he had a fighting chance now that he managed to knock the man's gun away, the clattering sound echoing in the small room.

They exchanged blows, Matt's movements desperate and untrained, but fuelled by desperation and adrenaline. His heart raced, his breaths came in ragged gasps, and sweat mingled with blood on his forehead.

The man punched Matt hard, the force of the blow sending stars across his vision. Matt stumbled, the axe slipping from his grasp. He scrambled, his hands reaching for any weapon within reach.

A fist connected with his face, once, twice, and then he was on the ground, the enemy's hands closing around his throat. Matt's vision blurred, the edges of his consciousness fraying. He gasped for air, his hands clawing at the man's grip. Shit. This is it, he thought, a sense of fatalism washing over him. I'm sorry, Nick… Chris.

But then, the weight was gone. The man's body slumped to the side, unfocused eyes staring at the ceiling. Matt coughed, drawing in precious air, his throat burning with each breath. His vision cleared, and there stood JJ, wielding a steel pipe, his face flushed from a mix of exhaustion, proximity of the fire, and adrenaline.

“Shit, dude. You alright?”, JJ asked, rushing to crouch down next to Matt, helping him sit up.

Matt sent him an unamused stare, his had still holding his own throat and struggling to catch his breath. “Thanks,” he choked out. We don’t have time for this, he thought, but was still too weak to get up. So he pointed to where the guy laid unconscious, his voice a hoarse whisper. "Key."

JJ’s eyes flashed with understanding and he nodded, quickly going to pat down the man's body until he found the keys. He held them up, a triumphant glint in his eyes. Matt managed a weak smile, his throat too raw for words.

“Got them, now come on man, let’s go!” JJ hissed, excited but also anxious, he knew they were running out of time.

Matt coughed, struggling to speak. He took JJ’s offered hand to help him up, but needed to lean against the wall for support. “Go ahead. Save them. I’ll catch up.” His voice was raspy, he could barely get the words out.

JJ made a shocked expression, eyes wide with disbelief. “No way dude, I’m not leaving you here.”

Matt pushed him lightly, expression tight with resolve. “I can’t run, you have to be fast.” He took a few short steps forward, still bracing against the wall. “Get them free, we’ll meet outside. West.” That was the side of the station with their make-shift exit. The fire was started on the other side, from the main entrance, but it was spreading fast, so it wouldn’t be long before they were completely cut off from all sides.

JJ realised this and groaned in frustration, unsure of what to do. “Go, please. Save them.” With this final push from Matt, JJ cursed under his breath and accepted the new plan.

“Here, take this,” he said, putting the discarded gun in Matt’s hand. “Meet us outside, no matter what.”

They locked eyes, and nodded. Then JJ was on his way, running as fast as he could to save their friends.

.

.

.

JJ sprinted through the corridors, not even trying to remain subtle or stealthy. He was getting desperate, he needed to find their group now.

Then as if struck, his head snapped to the right, as he heard distant shouts coming from down that hallway. He followed the sound for a while, then froze completely as he finally recognised the voices of his friends.

The walls echoed with Kiara and Sarah’s frantic yells, “Hey, assholes, you can’t leave us here!”, “Someone, get us out!” Their voices were sharp with fear, urgency and anger.

JJ’s sneakers slapped against the cold floor as he bolted towards the cries. He could hear the growl of the flames nearby and the moans of the zombies somewhere in the darkness.

As he rounded a corner, the cell came into view, and the anger, fear and confusion on Kiara, Sarah, and John B’s faces was immediately replaced by sheer and utter relief as they recognised their friend.

“JJ!”, “Yeah, dude!”, “Holy shit, JJ!”, the three were beyond excited to see their friend, knowing they were right in assuming they’d come for them.

JJ reached the cell, his chest heaving. “Found ya,” he gasped, his eyes meeting theirs through the bars. “Hang tight. I’m getting you out of here.” JJ panted as he fumbled with the keys. JJ worked the lock quickly, his fingers deft and steady despite the tremor of adrenaline.

“Took you guys long enough,” John B joked, pulling JJ in a side-hug.

Then Kiara practically leapt into his arms. “JJ! You have no idea how glad we are to see you!”

“I’m glad you came,” Sarah smiled, hugging him quickly.

At first, Nick and Chris were a little confused, but quickly caught on. The others explained there were in a group of six, so three of their friends, one of them called JJ, were still out there.

“I’m all for a happy reunion guys but we have to hurry, the fire’s close and those deadshits are already inside,” JJ explained nervously. He opened his bag and started handing out weapons – a couple of pistols, a knife, and more steel pipes.

He finally noticed Nick and Chris. “Whoa... there's two of Nick?”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Chris chuckled, despite the gravity of their situation. “I’m Chris. We're triplets.”

Recognition sparked in JJ’s eyes. “Shit, duude, Matt’s gonna lose his shit when he sees you’re back,” he said, a wide smile growing on his lips.

Nick and Chris froze, their hearts leaping into their throats. “Matt’s here? Where is he? Is he okay?” The questions tumbled out, frantic and overlapping, voices cracked with a mixture of fear and hope.

JJ’s smile faded, his eyes dropping to the floor, a heavy silence falling over him. The brief moment that he took to collect himself lasted an eternity for Nick and Chris.

Nick’s vision was already starting to blur from the intense horror he felt at the implication, and Chris had to hold down bile that was rising up his throat. They obviously both assumed the worst, all patience and logic flying out the window once Matt’s safety was concerned.

JJ, noticing how pale they got in an instant, was quick to continue. He took a deep breath. “Matt... he got hurt. Couldn’t run anymore, couldn’t keep up.”

The panic that hit Nick and Chris was like a physical force and a cold dread spread through them. “How hurt?”, Nick yelled, voice shaking with anger and fear. “What do you mean he couldn’t run? Where is he?” Chris demanded, his voice rising in pitch.

What happened? Was he bleeding? Was he burned by the fire? Was he shot or stabbed? How does he look like now, is he hunched forward, grabbing at his side to try and lessen the pain? Can he even stand, or is he alone somewhere, laying abandoned on the ground?

JJ finally met their eyes, his look tight, tense. “He had to fight the guy that had the keys,” JJ motioned back to the cell, “we agreed I’d run ahead to save you, then we’d meet back outside.”

Fight? Ohgod. Is he bruised? How will his face look like? Will he have black eyes? A broken nose? Split lip? Is he bleeding from his head? Are his ribs bruised or broken? Is he all black and blue? Can he even walk on his own?

“Then let’s not waste any more time,” Chris snapped, his body coiled like a spring, eager to finally see his brother after more than two months. After another week of worrying he’s either hurt or dead, and another of not knowing anything. Matt doesn’t even know I’m here, he though bitterly.

Everyone was quick to agree, so they all started running, dodging debris, coughing through the smoke, their feet pounding on the ground. The hole that Cleo had created with the explosion loomed ahead, a ticket to the world outside this nightmare.

As soon as they emerged, gulping down the fresh air, Nick and Chris were on high alert, their heads whipping around as they called for their brother. “Matt! Matt, where are you?”

The situation outside the station was even more chaotic than inside; flames painted the sky a bright red, consuming everything around them. It wasn’t just the station that was burning now, the fire has spread to the surrounding buildings and trees alike.

The crackling of fire intertwined with the distant chorus of gunshots, screams, and the guttural moans of the infected. The air was thick with smoke and ash and the metallic tang of blood, each breath a battle against the smothering heat.

The ensuing commotion has attracted even more infected, which they could see approaching from all directions. Despite getting out, the group was still far from safe, danger surrounded them from all sides, escaping would prove to be a struggle.

As the group waited outside, assessing their situation and scanning their surroundings for any signs of Matt, a few infected had already caught wind of them and started running wildly from various directions. Kiara and Sarah were forced to use their guns, wasting their limited ammo, while JJ and John B took a few out more directly, using a bat and a knife, relying on their brute strength.

Nick and Chris were both shaking, looking around desperately, still screaming for Matt, not knowing what to do.

“We’ve got to move, now!” Sarah yelled over the chaos.

“JJ! What’s the plan?” John B shouted as he took out another infected, turning to look at his best friend for guidance.

 JJ's voice rang through the air, "Cleo and Pope are waiting one street down. Their job was to find us a ride. We need to meet them there, asap!"

But Nick and Chris stood rooted to the ground, desperate and afraid, but equally determined. They looked at each other, finding only firm resolution and understanding in the other’s gaze. They didn’t need any words to reach an agreement.

"We're not leaving without Matt," Chris's voice was a blade, sharp and unwavering. Nick's nod was resolute, his eyes a mirror of Chris's resolve. The others hesitated, their bodies tensed as if caught between fight and flight.

Silence fell, for a moment nobody moved, nobody spoke. They were caught between a rock and a hard place; on one side, none of them wanted to abandon their new allies, but on the other... Kiara drew breath to shatter the stillness—

But then, something stirred at the edge of the hole in the wall.

Every head turned, every heart paused its beat. The smoke parted like a curtain in the breeze, revealing a figure. Matt emerged, battered and bruised, but alive. His face was a canvas of bruises, the handprint-shaped bruises already forming around his neck, speaking of a struggle endured, his eye swollen shut. There was soot and ash covering his entire form, and it was obvious that he had been burned. His hand clutched the wall for dear life, every cough sending a new wave of pain through his body.

Yet, this right now, was the most beautiful sight Nick and Chris could dream of.

"Matt!" they yelled in unison, their voices filled with utter, unrestricted joy, love and relief. Matt's head jerked up, eyes searching out Nick, then instinctively moving to find Chris as well.

Time froze.

That one moment, when Matt’s eyes met Chris's, after two and a half months of missing, worrying and dreaming about each other… it was everything.

All of their eyes started stinging with oncoming tears, and goosebumps covered their bodies as they held their breaths.

Neither would ever be able to describe the extent of the love, relief and hope that filled them in that moment. Just as before, when Nick and Chris reunited, Chris and Matt instantly felt connected, safe, at home.

They would make it out of this together, all of their pain and suffering, the stress and anxiety, the nightmares and sleepless nights… everything had been worth it, they would do it all again a thousand times, just to get them to this moment. As they looked at each other with so much love and understanding, it felt like no time has passed, nothing else mattered.

Other things did matter though, one at least – and that was the zombie they failed to notice sneaking up from behind Matt.

Once they noticed it, in the time it took for their expressions to shift from utter relief and joy to overwhelming despair and horror, it was already too late. All any of them could do was stand frozen in shock, as they watched the decaying corpse lunge at Matt, sending them both stumbling to the ground, where it then sank its rotting teeth into his leg.

If you looked closely, you could see the exact moment that the realisation of what had just happened sank in for Nick and Chris, as the ever-present light disappeared from their eyes forever.

This was it. A zombie bite was a death sentence. Everyone knew there was no coming back from that.

Nick and Chris stood still, oddly calm, a weird sense of peacefulness overcoming them. In that moment, during the flames, echoing gunshots and screams of fear and pain, the nasty growls of the infected, they just. Stopped. Caring.

They stood aside and watched as Kiara shot round after round into that monster, as John B sprang into action and hit it with his bat, sending it to the ground, as JJ grabbed Matt under his arms and pulled him away from the wall.

Matt was groaning and hissing in pain, clutching his leg with one arm, leaning against JJ for support.

“No, no, no! God DAMNIT!” JJ was yelling, voice filled with raw pain.

“This can’t be real, it can’t!” Kiara was crying, unable to accept their reality.

John B was desperate to do something, to help. “What do we do guys, somebody come up with something!”

Sarah, also crying, started urging everyone to move. “Come on guys, we have to get him out of here, let’s get him to Pope, he’ll come up with something, let’s go!”

Then, two sets of knees hit the ground beside them. JJ looked up as Nick laid a firm hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, we’ve got it from here.”

Chris moved to take Matt in his own arms, Nick helping from Matt’s other side. “It’s not safe here, you guys should go, your friends are waiting for you,” Chris said quietly.

“What are you talking about, we can’t just leave you here!” Kiara yelled exasperated.

“Please, don’t try to fight us on this.” Chris said, remaining calm. He was looking at Matt, stroking his arm with his hand.

“We’ve already said we’re not leaving without Matt. We’ll stay here with him.” Nick added, brushing loose strands of hair out of Matt’s face.

The others recognised their resolve; there was nothing they could say that would make those two abandon their brother. In theory, they could forcibly drag them with them, but they knew there was no saving those who didn’t want to be saved.

With heavy hearts and tears streaming down their faces, JJ, Kiara, Sarah and John B turned and ran away into the night, leaving the three defeated brothers behind.

“You guys didn’t need to do that,” Matt coughed out once they were alone.

“Oh shut up Matt,” Chris smiled softly.

“Yeah kid, don’t even,” Nick agreed, rolling his eyes lightly.

“You could still live, you’d make it if you left now,” Matt tried again, despite knowing there was no use. He’d be the same if the roles were reversed.

“We died the second that thing’s teeth pierced your skin, bub,” Chris whispered, holding onto Matt as tightly as he could without hurting him further.

“He’s right, sweetheart, there’s nothing left for us here,” Nick did his best to sound reassuring.

And they both meant it. The moment they understood their brother was as good as gone, Nick and Chris both accepted their own fate as well. There was no lingering doubt, no fear, not even anger, only acceptance.

“At least we get to spend our final moments together,” Nick added, genuinely thankful they at least got to be reunited in their end.

Chris nodded, agreeing. “Small blessings, I guess. I’m so unbelievably grateful I got to see you both before dying…”, then more quietly, under his breath added, “… one last time.”

Matt’s eyes filled with tears at that, the weight of this moment sinking in for real. This is the last conversation we’ll ever have with each other. This is our last conversation!!

“No,” he said suddenly, voice firm, eyes narrowed.

Matt could sense Nick and Chris both tensing slightly in confusion, but before either of them could say anything or try to stop him, Matt sprang into action, drawing on all his remaining strength he could muster, counting on the sheer adrenaline and determination to fuel him until he achieved his goal.

This isn’t how their story ends, he won’t let it. He doesn’t want to turn into a mindless monster. He doesn’t want to die. He doesn’t want his brothers to die. He can’t let them die, especially because of him. He can’t leave this world, knowing he’d respawn as something else and attack his own brothers.

Matt pushed away from his two brothers, who were momentarily frozen in shock, and kicked himself from the ground using his good leg, darting forward to where his axe laid forgotten in the debris of the collapsing wall.

“Matt, no!”, “What are you doing, Matt, stop!”, “MAAAATTT!!”, he could pay their shouts any mind.

He had no way of knowing whether this was going to work, but... There was no time to hesitate, no time to think, he just lifted up the axe as high as his arms would reach, and with all his might, Matt swings.

.

.

.

1 year later

The sun hung low in the sky, its warm rays caressing the earth, painting the world in hues of gold and amber.

Matt was sitting outside on the porch of their cabin, in a fancy new rocking chair Nick and Chris managed to build. He was out enjoying the last sunrays of the day, the fresh mountain air and the wonderful colours of his favourite season painting the nature around him.

He closed his eyes, the sounds of nature relaxing him further – birds chirping, the distant rush of running water, ... For a moment, there was no past riddled with terror, no present weighted by loss, no future full of uncertainty, just the simple, pure chorus of life continuing around him.

But peace was a rare visitor, and it was always too fleeting. His tranquillity shattered as Chris’s voice, laced with annoyance and volume that could wake the dead, burst through the serenity. Eyes snapping open, a smirk already playing on his lips, Matt turned towards the commotion.

“You wouldn’t recognise a furrow if it hit you in the face, Nick!” Chris’s voice was a familiar tune of mock outrage, and Matt could picture the indignant expression that surely accompanied it.

Nick followed in Chris’s wake, his retort hot on his heels. “It did hit me in the face, oh wait, no, that was you! And you wouldn’t know the first thing about ploughing! You’re just turning over dirt, not making rows!”

Matt’s smile broadened into a grin as he watched his brothers approach. Their bickering was the music of a normal life, he’d never take it for granted again. He felt a wave of gratitude so strong it almost choked him. They were together; they were alive.

But he had to play his part, now didn’t he? “Will you two shut it?” Matt called out, his tone holding a lightness that danced with the remnants of laughter. “You’re scaring away the peace and quiet.” He motioned to them for help.

Chris reached him first, his hands gently slipping under Matt’s arms to help him up. The warmth of his brother's touch was a silent vow of support. Nick was there too, handing over the crutches with a sheepish smile that acknowledged the interruption of Matt's solitude.

Matt gripped the crutches, the familiarity of the motion a testament to the resilience he had built over the months. Each step was a reminder of what had been sacrificed and what had been gained. The cabin, their haven, was now a world away from the chaos and death they had left behind.

As he moved inside, followed by his brothers, a profound sense of contentment settled over him. Getting around might have been more difficult since losing a leg, but he never regrated it for a second; it was a small price to pay for this life they now shared.

In the simple act of living – of arguing about gardens, of supporting each other, of rebuilding – they were reclaiming their humanity, piece by piece.

They were together. And they’d be okay.